


Opening Doors

by gray_eyes



Series: Subway Series [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood-centric, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Shadow World Setting (Shadowhunter Chronicles), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Magic, Other, Warlock Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 04:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19310914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_eyes/pseuds/gray_eyes
Summary: 10 years after they meet (and five years after the last chapter of part one), Simon and Alec finally have that immortality talk.





	Opening Doors

**Author's Note:**

> I was feeling nostalgic - enjoy!

Alec tucks his notebook into his jacket pocket just as Simon finally plops onto the sofa next to him.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” he gasps as he slurps froth from the glamoured white beer Alec had stealthily summoned for him. “Strike took longer than usual.”

Alec waves his hand in dismissal as he sips his white beer. He’s been perfectly content lingering around Cafe Phil after Simon’s concert. After all, it’s rare Alec gets a night off from his classes, his meetings, or his parental duties. Not that he particularly minds, but Alec has made it a tradition to visit Simon while he’s on tour. Plus, it helps streamline ring deliveries and squeezing in the occasional international meeting.

Despite capitalizing on the use of daylight hours, Simon works primarily in the shadows. He’s currently the opening act for a renowned band of Seelies, whose name Alec is still pretending he knows how to pronounce and therefore never says at all.

Simon’s band has a name, Alec knows that, but it has changed so many times that Alec has lost track of its current name and is too embarrassed to ask. Something to do with animals…All Alec knows is that the t-shirts that Alec and Magnus designed still do the trick.

Simon really must have had little time to himself, Alec thinks, for he’s still wearing his stage shirt. It’s currently lavender, pairing nicely with the musaky tones coming from the cafe’s speakers. The shirt is glamoured to shift colors depending on the mood of the song.

“Since when do you drink beer?” Simon blurts out, his drink half drunk already.

Alec laughs. “Well, I’m in Vienna,” he concedes. “It seemed right to blend in with the locals.”

Cafe Phil was a coffee house, but a rather modern one at that. After a late gig, Simon preferred hanging out at a mundane venue. He needed a break from his adoring fans, and Alec never minded the sightseeing opportunity. He certainly had the means to explore, although it’s odd to put up a glamour over his eyes.

The cafe shifted into half bookstore, half pub at night, an oddity and a respite from the rowdier settings Simon usually requested. _He must be in one of those moods_ , Alec thinks.

“So…what’s on your mind?” Alec asks before grimacing. Simon sighs loudly before sliding back onto the couch.

“Maia…she looks…well…she has greys,” Simon whispers, as if afraid anyone will overhear.

It’s something they share. Magnus understands, but he’s further along in the process, having already lost many. Alec and Simon have each lost a parent, but they haven’t lost their entire family, their world, their century….

And they haven’t gotten used to watching those they love age as they remain frozen in time.

_Well, not completely frozen_ , Alec thinks with a smile. _So much has changed, as much as some things have stayed the same._

Cliches aside, Alec knows how weird it is to see someone you love with a grey hair. 

Alec knows that he will never experience what Simon will, as Magnus will always be as constant as he, but Alec will lose family, and he will never be prepared for it.

“Have you spoken to her about it?” Alec asks quietly. With a flick of the wrist, Simon’s glass refills itself.

“Thanks,” Simon murmurs. “And that would be a big fat no. I don’t want her to feel self-conscious about a perfectly natural thing, something that, like, society denigrates women for already. I mean, like, aging is normal and beautiful. Just because I can’t do it doesn’t mean I don’t want it to happen for her. Although it’s not like I want her to completely age, if you know what I’m saying…”

Alec takes another sip, buying time. “Would you trade it?”

They sit quietly, a rare occurrence around Simon. Alec knows his answer, but he doesn’t quite know Simon’s.

“You know,” Alec says after a minute, “Magnus and I have been thinking about a potential way to turn vampires into mundanes, should they wish, of course. I think the properties of the rings would do some of the work. It’s just a thought, though, at this point.”

It’s too unsafe to say more than that in public, but it’s more than just a thought. With the help of Jace, Alec can channel his magic, when Jace’s parabatai bond is activated, into something….well, something remarkably similar to Heavenly Fire. It worked on Jem, and who knows who else could benefit?

Jace’s involvement in Alec’s vampire ring business was a secret, though, something not disclosed even to Simon. Jace was Alec’s parabatai, after all. 

Simon has opened his mouth and then closed it three times. “Okay,” Alec says as he leans over and pats Simon’s back, a little chilled even with the t-shirt. “I think it’s a little past both of our bedtimes.” Alec’s used to going to bed early with his kids, although now it’s only Max, and Simon long ago adjusted to a Daylighter schedule to maximize his time with Maia.

Alec forces himself off the sofa, knowing they’ll both fall asleep there if he doesn’t move right now. “Although,” Alec says as he downs the last of his drink, “I think you should say what you just said. Maia will like it, I’m sure.”

It’s not easy to find an alley in a city like Vienna, so they finally find an empty car on the U-Bahn with enough time to portal back to New York. Alec figures that Simon would prefer to sleep closer to Maia tonight, and Alec doesn’t spend too much time away from home either.

Much of his family, both by blood and by love alone, has moved away from New York. Long gone are the days where he trained daily with his parabatai. He leaves those to his son. Times may have changed, and Alec may feel content in letting his twenty-year-old son live at an Institute and form a parabatai bond with Kit, but he had long ago laid down his own arrows.

Alec tiptoes through the apartment. He knows Magnus will be up, of course, but he hopes in vain that Max won’t be up playing video games. A parent can dream.

He silently opens their bedroom door, revealing Magnus on their bed. He’s reading one of Alec’s journals, the blue one on integrated educational practices. Magnus’ face is bare, and his golden eyes shine tiredly at his returning husband.

“How’s Salmon?” Magnus asks as he closes the notebook and turns on his side. Alec snaps his fingers to change to a t-shirt and a clean pair of briefs before sliding into bed and facing his husband. He immediately reaches forward with one arm, and Magnus intertwines their fingers.

“Oh, you know,” Alec says with a small smile, “freaking out. Nothing too unusual.”

“Have you broached the whole potential cure situation yet?” Magnus smirks as he squeezes their hands together.

Alec chuckles. “Well, more like dropped it in his lap,” Alec admits. “We’ll just have to see…how’s Maxie?”

Magnus snuggles closer and settles further into his pillow. “Oh, you know blueberry,” he sighs playfully. “He’s still a little miffed over his mark.”

“But blue skin is so cool!” Alec protests weakly. 

They know what Max had been hoping for. Eye warlock marks were, of course, in the family. Alec secretly thought Maxie was rather pleased, but he was pretending to be upset to extort Magnus into later bedtimes and more ice cream, the ten-year-old devil.

Not that he’d ever tell Magnus that. It was too adorable on all sides for Alec to stop.

“If I expected anyone to be upset, I thought it’d be Raf,” Alec says quietly. They raised Raf to be proud of his heritage, skillful in his vampiric speed and steady with a stele, but he was the only non-warlock of the family.

He also was, perhaps, just a bit of a drama queen. Like his papa was on too little sleep.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow, darling,” Magnus yawns, “assuming he picks up his phone.”

“Love you,” Alec yawns back.

“Mmmmmtoo,” Magnus mutters.


End file.
